Dive Brief:
- In an effort to reduce the number of U.S. highway work-zone injuries and fatalities, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association said it will strive to complete 1,000 of its new transportation-related training certifications next year, according to Engineering News-Record.
- Officials for the Safety Certification for Transportation Project Professionals Commission said the new training would prepare highway workers and related professionals to "see a hazard, identify it and know that they should call it in."
- According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, highway work-zone deaths increased from 574 to 688 between 2010 and 2015, with most fatalities occurring among drivers and passengers.
Dive Insight:
Highway work-zone accidents have been on both the industry’s and government's radars for years, but the Associated General Contractors reported last year that nearly half of highway contractors said they experienced crashes in their work areas.
One factor in play that works against road contractors is the fact that some protective measures like safety barriers are not approved because of their cost. Speed detection systems also cut down on work-zone accidents, but motorist lobbying groups have been able to limit their use by arguing that they don’t work properly and mistakenly identify speeders.
OSHA also recently published a new guide, "Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction," which is targeted toward small and midsize contractors who might not have the resources to hire safety consultants or pay for specialized training. Like ARTBA's program, OSHA said the guide should be helpful in showing workers how to identify hazards, react to emergencies and inspect work sites for safety and health threats.
Aside from training, OSHA's primary mission is to enforce existing safety rules, and one of their tools is the ability to levy fines against those who violate those regulations. That power got an extra boost this year when OSHA raised its fines by 78% in August. The increase — the agency's first since 1990 — put its penalty structure in line with the Consumer Price Index.